Affordable fisheye lens options for a Canon T2i
Asked 12/7/2012
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I’m looking for an extreme wide-angle or fisheye lens for a Canon T2i (APS-C). I’d like either a very distorted ultra-wide look or, if possible, a circular fisheye-style image, but I’m trying to keep the cost down. I’ve considered lenses like the Sigma 8mm and Canon 8-15mm f/4L, but the Canon is more than I want to spend. I already have the 18-55mm kit lens, 50mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4, so this would be mainly for dramatic “bonkers” fisheye shots. What are the best budget-friendly options?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The Tokina 10-17mm is one of the best values. It is a rectangular fisheye, so it covers a 180° field-of-view at 10mm. The neet thing is that you can zoom it down a 100° and get more flexibility in zooming. It goes for around $670.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can get a Samyang 8mm F/3.5 rectangular fisheye for around $330. This is a completely manual lens. You have to not only focus manually but also set the aperture manually. It takes practice to use since you will be opening the aperture to focus and frame and stopping it down to meter and shoot. Think manual (M) mode, taken to the extreme.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a Canon T2i, two budget-friendly fisheye options mentioned most often are the Tokina 10-17mm and the Samyang/Rokinon 8mm f/3.5.
The Tokina 10-17mm is widely considered a strong value. It’s a diagonal/rectangular fisheye rather than a circular one, giving a very wide 180° view at 10mm on compatible formats, and the zoom range makes it more flexible than a fixed lens.
If cost is the main concern, the Samyang/Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 is a cheaper way to get the exaggerated fisheye look. It is fully manual, so you’ll need to focus manually and set aperture manually, which takes more effort but can be workable for fisheye shooting because depth of field is often generous.
On an APS-C body like the T2i, getting a true circular fisheye image is more difficult than getting a full-frame fisheye effect, so budget options are usually better suited to dramatic diagonal fisheye shots rather than a full circular frame.
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